Everything you need to know about the Azzurri lock.

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When Marco Bortolami made the switch to join Gloucester in 2006, many people classed him as the best player in the world. Despite that tag, it would be fair to say that Bortolami has not achieved as much as other players in his era, as we analyse his records and trophies through this next article.

Internationally, Bortolami can certainly be forgiven for his lack of achievements. Through no fault of his own, Italy are not regarded as one of the top nations in international rugby and have never been renowned for experiencing much success. In fact, Bortolami can be proud of the fact that he captained the Azzurri to their best finish in a Six Nations tournament. This occurred in 2007 when the Italians won two games in the competition for the first time ever.

It would be fair to say that the bulk of Bortolami’s success occurred at Gloucester, even though the Kingsholm outfit did not actually win anything during his time there. However, he was captain when the team were runners-up in the league in the 2006/07 season, while he was also active as Gloucester finished runners-up on successive occasions in the main cup competition in 2008/09 and 2009/10.

Unfortunately, at 31-years-old, it is starting to become more and more likely that Bortolami is going to end his career without a trophy to his name. While there were big hopes when he joined Aironi last year, the fact that they have recently had their license taken away has thrown more question marks about the player’s future. One thing is for sure, considering Bortolami’s undoubted ability, it is a huge shame that he does not have a huge list of honours to his name.

With Serio Parisse currently injured, Marco Bortolami has seen his international career prospects improve considerably over recent times after regaining the captaincy for the Azzurri. However, he has now been dealt a huge blow, after it was revealed that the 31-year-old would miss the next four months following surgery on his shoulder.

Bortolami was the regular captain for the Azzurri up to 2008, before it was then decided to hand the armband to the promising Parisse. Many people thought that the decision was harsh on Bortolami, who had certainly led an improvement in fortunes during his reign. With Parisse currently on the treatment table, Bortolami was given the armband again as the Italians took on Argentina last month. However, it now appears as though that occasion will be the last for a very long time, with the lock now on the road to recovery after surgery.

Bortolami’s injury actually came in the game against Argentina, where he dislocated his shoulder following a robust challenge. He was immediately penned in for surgery and while the Italian Rugby Federation has confirmed that this has been a success, it’s estimated that the former Padua man still need around four months to recover. With Sergio Parisse tipped to recover from his injury by the end of the summer, he is certain to regain the armband upon his return.

Should all go to plan, Bortolami should at least manage to return to action in November. This would be a massive boost for the Italians, as they prepare to face the likes of Australia, Tonga and New Zealand through that month.

At the age of 31, Marco Bortolami certainly has several interesting facts about his career. He has been a regular for the Italian national team for a number of years, as well as playing for some of the most illustrious clubs in the world. Through this article, we look at some of the most interesting trivia about the lock.

1) Bortolami was born on 12 June 1980 in Padova, Italy.

2) He is one of the largest players in the Italian national team, standing at a huge 6’5” and weighing approximately 17 stone.

3) He made his professional debut at just 18-years-old, while his international debut followed two years later.

4) One of the most impressive statistics for Bortolami is the age at what he was given the Italian captaincy. At just 22-years-old, he became the youngest ever player to captain the Azzurri.

5) Bortolami stated in 2006 that upon his retirement, he wanted to become a mechanic for Ferrari. Incredibly, the car manufacturer has taken him up on this offer, sending a letter that would offer him a job as soon as his professional career in the sport is over.

6) As well as captaining Italy, Bortolami also wore the armband for English giants Gloucester.

7) Despite arriving at the World Cup in 2003 with high hopes, Bortolami’s tournament was over before it had almost begun. He sustained an injury in his first match against Tonga and missed the remainder of the competition.

8) Bortolami was replaced as captain of Italy in 2008. However, he possesses a better win-rate than his successor Sergio Parisse, prompting calls for him to be reinstated to the position.

Having made almost 90 appearances for the Italian national team, it would be fair to describe Marco Bortolami as a seasoned international for the Azzuri. Since making his debut, he has gone on to achieve huge success with the Italians and is viewed as something of a legend in his home country.

Bortolami’s first game for the full national squad came when he was just 20-years-old. The then-Padua player was selected to play against Namibia and since then, he has not looked back. In fact, he was named as the youngest ever captain when at the age of just 22, he was handed the skipper’s armband. Having held that status for a number of years, many believe he was unlucky to lose it after Sergio Parisse took over in 2008. While Bortolami had struggled with various injury problems, many people point to the superior win ratio that Bortolami possesses when he has captained the side. While he has been named as skipper on a handful of occasions over the past couple of years, it’s understood that there are no plans to strip Parisse of his armband in the near future.

With the Italians being renowned as one of the less talented rugby nations, Bortolami has not been part of many international successes. However, he has still taken part in all of the major tournaments, having played in the World Cup and various Six Nations competitions during his time with the Azzurri. Fans from other countries also view Bortolami as one of the most threatening players for Italy.

Born on 12 June 1980, Marco Bortolami has established himself as one of the stalwarts of Italian rugby. He has made countless appearances for his national team, as well as captaining them on more than one occasion. In fact, up until 2008, he was the regular skipper for the Azzurri.

Bortolami started his career with Padua and made his first start for his local team at just 18-years-old. With Padua regarded as one of the more successful clubs in Italy, it was no surprise when Bortolami was awarded a place in the Italy U21 squad not long after his domestic debut. In fact, his first full appearance came very quickly as well, with Bortolami aged just 20 when he took to the pitch to play for his county for the first time. What was certainly surprising was the rate in which Bortolami was named as captain for his country, with the player being named the youngster ever skipper of the nation at just 22-years-old.

Since his debut for the Italian national team, Bortolami has proceeded to make almost ninety international appearances. He has also seen his career advance significantly on a domestic level; moving from Padua to Narbonne, before then being transferred to English rugby giants Gloucester. It would be fair to say that he impressed immensely at Gloucester, once again taking the captains armband and helping the Kingsholm outfit to various successes.

At the moment, Bortolami finds himself playing for Italian side Aironi. Meanwhile, he is still a regular for his national team and is very likely to add to the 88 caps he currently has.